By Dr Hailee Byles, Maleny Vet Services
MOST pet owners are aware of the potential dangers of paralysis ticks, however other types of ticks can also threaten the health of your dog.
With the school holidays approaching and weather warming up, you may be planning to travel with your dog to parts of Australia where other tick-borne diseases are a risk.
Canine Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by the bacteria Ehrlichia canis contracted from a tick bite. It is a growing concern in north-western Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and northern South Australia.
The disease is transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), which is different to a paralysis tick.
Infected dogs do not transmit Ehrlichiosis to people or other dogs, but the disease can be very serious for the bitten animal.
Symptoms of Ehrlichiosis can include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, cloudy eyes or conjunctivitis, pain and stiffness, or bleeding disorders such as nosebleeds or bruising on the gums or belly.
Our advice for owners to prevent this happening is to implement an effective tick control routine.
If you are travelling to an area where Ehrlichiosis is of concern, it is important to use oral tick prevention (such as Simparica, Nexgard or Bravecto) AND a tick collar to repel the ticks and stop them from biting your dog. The brand of tick collars recommended is ‘Seresto’.
If your dog is bitten without being on preventative health, they may require long-term antibiotic therapy. Ehrlichiosis can be deadly if not treated.
If you are thinking of travelling or suspect that your dog is showing any symptoms of Ehrlichiosis after travelling recently, please contact us on 5494 3622 for advice.